disasters, disaster risk management (drm) and the ... 2 icomos-icorp(international committee on risk...

3/29/2016

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Disasters, Disaster Risk Management(DRM) and the

Importance of Cultural Heritage in DRM

Christopher E Marrion PE, FSFPE, MScFPEMarrion Fire & Risk Consulting PE, LLC

ICOMOS:US -Board of TrusteesICOMOS:ICORP - Vice [email protected]

Dr Rohit Jigyasu, M.Arch., Dr. of Eng.

Conservation & Risk Management Consultant, INDIAUNESCO Chair Professor, Ritsumeikan Univerisity,JAPANICOMOS:ICORP - ChairpersonICOMOS-India, President.Member, ICOMOS Executive Committee

ICOMOS – International Council on Monuments & Sites

• Global NGO

• Network of experts: including architects, historians, archaeologists, arthistorians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers, city/town planners et al.

• Conservation Focus: conservation/protection of cultural heritage: historicbuildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites

• Scientific technique and practices: dedicated to promoting the application oftheory, methodology, and scientific techniques to conservation of heritage.

• Advisory Body of the World Heritage Committee for the Implementation ofthe World Heritage Convention of UNESCO

• Volunteer Organization

ICOMOS facts and figures:11,000 Members95 National Committees27 International Scientific Committees

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ICOMOS-ICORP (International Committee on Risk Preparedness)

Protecting Heritage from Disasters• Prevention/Mitigation• Preparedness• Response• Recovery

Through…• Creating Awareness• Capacity Building• Training• Site projects• Research• Advocacy• Disaster Response

The Impact of Disasters

What is Cultural Heritage?

Benefits of Cultural Heritage & Traditional Knowledge in DRM

Overview – Disasters and the Need to Protect CulturalHeritage

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Occurrence of natural disasters

In 1955: 35In 1900: 10

The Impact of DisastersOccurrence of natural disasters

In 1955: 35In 1900: 10


Property cost: ~180 bn USD/yrLives lost: >70,000 on ave

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Occurrence of natural disasters

In 1955: 35In 1900: 10


Property cost: ~180 bn USD/yrLives lost: >70,000 on avePeople affected: 232,000,000

Continuing to Lose Cultural Heritage As Well…

Nat

ura

lD

isas

ters

Earthquakes Volcanoes

Floods Avalanches/Landslides

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Continuing to Lose Cultural Heritage

Nat

ura

lD

isas

ters

Fire Tsunamis

Hurricanes Wildfires


Pos

tD

isas

ters

Post Disaster

Kasubi Tombs

Premature Demolition

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Man

-Mad

eD

isas

ters

Buddhas of Bamiyan Kasubi Tombs

Tombs, TimbuktuEgyptian Scientific Institute

Targeted Destruction of Cultural Heritage

http://cchag.org/index.php/about/thought-leadership/

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Losses to Cultural Heritage

• Challenging to

o obtain data

o quantify losses

• However, we are losing our heritage

o Large scale events

o Single building/site events


What Lies Ahead….

Climate induced disasters:

o tornadoes

o hurricanes

o typhoons

o heavy rains

Changes in climate – greater frequency and intensity of events

Trending: increasing loss to life, property ….. and our heritage

o high winds

o wildfires

o avalanches

o drought

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What is Cultural Heritage??

Immoveable Natural TraditionsMoveable

Tangible Intangible


BuildingsMonumentsArchaeological sites

PaintingsSculpturesManuscripts

LandUnderwaterSpace

Oral traditionsPerforming artsRituals

Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifactsand intangible attributes of a group or society that areinherited from past generations, maintained in thepresent and bestowed for the benefit of futuregenerations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_heritage

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Places of Worship

St Peter’s Basilica, Italy Israel – HolySepulchre

Mosque at Cordoba, Spain

What is Cultural Heritage? What is Cultural Heritage?

Tangible cultural heritage: immovable

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Temples

Mahabodhi Temple ComplexBodh Gaya

Johkang Temple,Lhasa, Tibet

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees,Guangzhou, China (built in 537)


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Temples

Reflection pool at Angkor Wat,Cambodia


Places of Worship

Mecca, Saudi Arabia


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Places of Worship

Mecca, Saudi ArabiaAmarbayasgalantMonastery, Mongolia

Tiger’s Nest,Bhutan


Kapelbruck Bridge, SwitzerlandBuilt 1300s

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U Bein Bridge, Myanmarbuilt around 1850oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world

http://i.imgur.com/HEJ0G.jpg


Cutty Sark ShipBuilt 1800s

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Namdaeamun Gate, South KoreaBuilt 1400s

Stupas

108 Bhutanese Stupas at Dochula Pass3150meters above sea level,Thimphu – Punakha national high way.

Gobi Desert Mongolia


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Monuments/Sites

England – Stonehenge


Egypt– Giza Plateau

Pyramids

Sphinx

Temples

Tombs

Monuments/Sites


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Egypt - ABU SIMBEL

Monuments/Sites/Caves


Janta & Allura, India Mt. Kailash, Tibet

Mountains/Natural Landscapes


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Natural heritage

Water

Ganges River, India


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Underwater


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Intangible cultural heritage (oral traditions, performing arts,

rituals)

Songs, music, drama, skills, crafts,etc.

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Space Heritage

Why is Heritage Important??

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Sacred Sites - a place for….• developing spirituality• seeking higher knowledge, wisdom• physical, emotional, and spiritual

healing• ceremonies• connecting with our past and future


Significant Roles In A Community• Meeting places• Physical anchor within a community• A sense of local and regional identity• A sense of belonging• Maintain community pride

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Significance of Cultural Heritage - Community ‘Ownership’

• Response/Recovery• Coordinating volunteers

“Hands Around the Library” Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books, Jan 2011.

In January 2011, thousands of Egypt's students, library workers, anddemonstrators surrounded the great Library of Alexandria and joinedhands, forming a human chain to protect the building. They chanted"We love you, Egypt!" as they stood together for the freedom the libraryrepresented.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt

- Eurasia Review, (Nov 1, 2015)

Significance of Cultural Heritage - Community ‘Ownership’

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The Need toProtect Our Cultural Heritage

Sendai Framework :: DRM :: Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage

Traditional Knowledge:- Safer structures- Safer sites

Engaging communities:- Awareness/Prevention- Response/Recovery

Areas of Refuge (during/after) Limits economic impact Increase resiliency

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Resisting Tsunamis

Help Inform Safer StructuresTraditional Knowledge

Photo from january 4, 2005, the RahmatullahLampuuk Mosque stands intact after the 2004tsunami hit the area in Lhoknga, near BandaAceh, Indonesia.

Mosque Built 1881.

“…at least 27 mosques in the city survived thetsunami, often the only buildings in theirneighborhoods to do so..”

The National ‘How Indonesian mosques survived the tsunami’,Andi Jatmiko, December 23, 2014

Traditional Knowledge, DRM and CH

• local building techniques, materials,

awareness

• preventing/mitigating/responding

to/recovering from disasters.

• proven effective over centuries in

mitigating disasters


Resisting Earthquakes Traditional / Indigenous / Local Knowledge• know-how, skills and practices developed and

passed on from generation to generation• often forming part of one’s cultural/spiritual

identity.• important for subsistence and survival• generally based on accumulations of empirical

observation and interaction with theenvironment.

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Resisting Earthquakes


Haiti, 2010 Kashmir Earthquake 2005Gingerbread Houses


Anti-

seis

mic

cis

tern

Resisting Fires

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Traditional Knowledge:Helps Inform Safer Sites

Ayutthaya, Thailand Floods, 2011

Help Inform Safer SitesTraditional Knowledge

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Traditional Hydrological System


Heritage Sites often demonstrate indigenousknowledge in planning, siting and watermanagement developed through sensitiveunderstanding of local context that havecontributed towards reducing disaster risks.

• Ayutthaya - laid out according toa systematic and rigid cityplanning grid

• The strategy took maximumadvantage of the city’s position inthe midst of three rivers

• Consisted of roads, canals, andmoats around all the principalstructures.

• This water management wastechnologically advanced andunique.

Painting by Johannes Vingboonsof Ayutthaya, c.1665

Traditional Hydrological System


Unfortunately during last few decades:• many canals filled in/replaced by

roads.• gates no longer exist• massive urbanization has disturbed

ecology around the site

Painting by Johannes Vingboons of Ayutthaya, c. 1665

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Help Inform Safer SitesTraditional Knowledge – Keep it Simple

Can Assist in Engaging Communities

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Engaging Communities: Awareness, Early Warning & Emergency Response

• Awareness

• Prevention

• Emergency Response Training

• Close coordination: e.g. businesses,

heritage managers, emergency responders,

city authorities, local communities, et al.Shirakawago, Japan

Engaging Communities: Awareness, Early Warning & Emergency Response

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Engaging Communities: Response and Recovery

Florence, Italy – 1964 Flood

Cultural Heritage Sites-• Focal/gathering point during and after an

event• Opportunity for engaging and coordinating

with volunteers and the community

Economic Value

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Cultural Heritage and Tourism In

NepalGDP: 2014: 8.6% (2024: 9.9%)

Tourism Industry : >726,000 people

employed

(6.4% of total

employment)

According to the PDNA:

• 7 of 10 World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu

Valley damaged and popular trekking

routes.

Economic Value We Need to Protect Our Cultural Heritage from Disasters

Earthquakes Volcanoes

Floods Fires

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Global Platform forDisaster Risk Reduction

(UNISDR Geneva –2011)

CHAR:Cultural Heritage atRisk (S Korea-2012)

SendaiFramework

forDisaster Risk

Reduction

Global Platform forDisaster Risk Reduction

(UNISDR Geneva –2013)

We Need to Protect Our Cultural Heritage from Disasters

ThankYou!

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Disasters, Disaster Risk Management(DRM) and the

Importance of Cultural Heritage in DRM

Christopher E Marrion PE, FSFPE, MScFPEMarrion Fire & Risk Consulting PE, LLC

ICOMOS:US -Board of TrusteesICOMOS:ICORP - Vice [email protected]

Dr Rohit Jigyasu, M.Arch., Dr. of Eng.

Conservation & Risk Management Consultant, INDIAUNESCO Chair Professor, Ritsumeikan Univerisity,JAPANICOMOS:ICORP - ChairpersonICOMOS-India, President.Member, ICOMOS Executive Committee

disasters, disaster risk management (drm) and the ... 2 icomos-icorp(international committee on risk...

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